Would you like to be a
part of the Arkwright
Society, if so then click
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information on how
to join us

Opening Hours

Weekdays: 9:00 - 17:00
Weekends: 9:00 - 17:00

Welcome to the Arkwright Society

The Arkwright Society grew out of the Arkwright Festival of 1971 which commemorated the two hundredth anniversary of Richard Arkwright’s arrival in Cromford and the construction of the world’s first successful water powered cotton spinning mill in 1771. It is a registered charity, registered with Entrust and an amenity society registered with the Civic Trust. The Society has adopted its own green code and is actively engaged in recycling waste materials including paper and timber.

From the beginning, the Society has been engaged in the practical conservation of industrial monuments (notably in Lumsdale, Ashford, Cromford and Slinter Wood) in publishing and in educational activities. In October 1996 the Society opened the Cromford Venture Centre which provides short stay accommodation for parties of young people and particularly for those who would not normally be able to afford an experience of this kind. The Society also owns Slinter Wood, a Site of Specific Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, Slinter Cottage and Dunsley Meadows Local Nature Reserve.

In 1979 the Society purchased Sir Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mill site and began the difficult task of restoring the grade I listed buildings of this internationally important monument. The society employs it's own building team and has it's own conservation joinery workshop. The team includes trainees and young people gaining work experience.

The site has a restaurant, shops, meeting rooms and an exhibition. It is open every day except Christmas Day.In and around Matlock, the Society’s concern for conservation and the improvement of the environment is in the hands of the Matlock Civic Association. The MCA regularly comments on planning applications and from time to time carries out its own improvement schemes. Open meetings are held on the second Monday in each month at the Ernest Bailey Centre, New Street, Matlock.

Can You Help?

If you join the Arkwright Society, your subscription will assist the valuable work and many people have become members to lend a hand in this way. But if you live in or near Derbyshire you may wish to take a more active role in the Society’s projects or committees. Volunteers are needed at Cromford Mill to share in the daily tasks and to help organise the many local projects.You may also wish to take advantage of the programme of lectures and outings which the Society provides each year and receive a newsletter at regular intervals which outlines the Society’s activities and progress.

The Society also has a trading subsidiary, Cromford Mill Ltd. This runs the Society's shop; Country Colours, and the Shop in the Yard and the Restaurant and Christmas Shop. Country Colours offers a selection of greeting cards, jewellery, Tula bags, EAST accessories, Bridgewater pottery, stationery, candles, Jellycat toys and teddies, providing the perfect shopping experience for all age groups. Our Shop in the Yard offers readers a wide selection of specialist books covering subjects including railways and steam, family history, the industrial revolution and a number of superb teaching resources. From the August Bank Holiday through until the year end visitors are invited to visit the Charity Christmas Card Shop with a selection of cards, wrapping paper, decorations and small gifts from over 50 different charities. Of course any trip to Cromford Mill would not be complete without lunch in the wholefood restaurant where a delicious range of home-made lunch dishes, cakes and pastries are available.

Arkwright’s Attic is part of the Arkwright Society’s recycling initiative and provides visitors with the opportunity to purchase glass and tableware, used books and bric-a-brac, all of which raise funds for six of our local projects. You can also participate in the recycling scheme by bringing your glass and plastic bottles, aluminum cans, paper and cardboard to the recycling centre in the yard.